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This is certainly sexual harassment, a pretty mild case in the first story, a much more troubling one in the second. The follow up of the death threat seems to me to indicate a clear intent at violence in the first.
Regardless of intent, it's imperative that these boys be taught that their actions are grossly inappropriate.
I used to teach sex ed as part of a team, with 8th graders. The class was called family planning, and included a bunch of life skills like bugeting, caring for a child, shopping, and various other skills one needs to be able to function. Sex ed was a big part of it. It didn't take long to discover that 8th grade is about five years too late. I was astounded by what these kids already knew, and how much foolish and dangerous information they'd picked up by the age of 13. We'd occasionally have pregnant girls in class, or boys who were already fathers, students for whom the skills we were teaching were vitally important in their immediate future.
Don't get hung up on the label. We need to teach young children what is and isn't appropriate behavior. Sticking your hand inside someone else's pants or underwear is inappropriate. Sending a love note saying "I wont to sexx wih yoo", as happened in a second grade classroom I volunteered in a few months back is clearly inappropriate.
This little boy in the second example obviously shouldn't be in the same school environment with that girl. His actions have proven that, whatever label you want to put on them.
Gilda
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